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Time of India
7 days ago
- Time of India
Bad roads, traffic snarls turn commuting in Kolkata into a recurring nightmare
Traffic at Lake Town on Saturday evening From routine traffic snarls to complete standstills, Kolkata's traffic condition has hit a new low in recent times. A distance that once took 20 minutes to cover, now takes over an hour, even during off-peak hours. The reasons are many – shoddily repaired roads, poor drainage during rain, large potholes, frequent political or protest rallies, an increase in the number of residential complexes without a ramp-up of road infrastructure, and so much more. According to residents, almost every commute has become frustrating, with the monsoon magnifying the mess. Long commutes irk drivers According to DJ Akash Rohira, who drives an SUV, the situation has become unbearable. 'I've stopped calculating the time while travelling; it takes hours,' he said. 'Even at noon, it takes an hour to reach a place that should normally take 20 minutes. The other day, it took me over an hour just to navigate the Science City crossing.' Bikers also are feeling the heat. 'Commuting on a bike is supposed to be easier. But traffic even during off-peak hours is making it tough,' said Sandipan Dhar, a banker & Jadavpur resident who commutes to work in New Town every day. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Woman sells ring given by ex, then jeweler tells her 'This can't be true' Daily Sport X Undo According to him, Google Maps too can't keep up with real-time delays. 'If the ETA shows 40 minutes, it easily takes more than an hour. My daily commute to New Town shows one hour on the map, but it takes nearly two hours,' he said. Traffic crawls near Chingrighata More late on Saturday afternoon Potholes & waterlogging add to commuter woes A source of unexpected bumps, potholes hidden under puddles are not only slowing traffic and frustrating commuters but also leading to heightened accident risk across the city. 'The roads in the city are not equipped to handle monsoon. Many key zones don't have proper drainage. This causes waterlogging that in turn damages the roads even more,' said Soutik Dutta, a senior sales executive who commutes daily from Ultadanga to Salt Lake Sector V for work. 'I've altered my regular route because of the current traffic situation. The government needs to act on the drainage system as it's directly linked to road damage and daily commute delays,' he added. Traffic hotspots to avoid Science City Crossing Chingrighata More Webel More Baghajatin station rail gate Sealdah bridge Burrabazar The Seven-point crossing to Ballygunge stretch Gariahat to Kalighat crossing Quotes: It feels like I'm stuck in the same traffic jam every day. Hours wasted, even during off-peak hours. The roads are waterlogged, cars are getting damaged, and nothing changes – DJ Akash Rohira Traffic chaos is a regular affair at most places such as Chingrighata More, Burra Bazar etc. A five-minute stretch can easily take 30 minutes to cross – Sandipan Dhar, bank employee I used to drive to work earlier, but now I take the metro. It's just easier that way - Tania Chakraborty, marketing professional
Medscape
13-06-2025
- Health
- Medscape
What Role Does Diet Play in Managing Atopic Dermatitis?
Eliminating 'problematic' foods or ingredients from the diet is not a sensible measure to apply across all patients with atopic dermatitis (AD), although it may be beneficial for a subset of patients with moderate-to-severe disease who also have documented food allergies. This point was emphasized in several presentations at The World Congress of Pediatric Dermatology (WCPD) 2025 Annual Meeting, held recently in Buenos Aires, Argentina. 'There is currently no role for routine elimination diets in all patients with AD,' said Sandipan Dhar, MD, professor and head of the Department of Pediatric Dermatology at the Institute of Child Health in Kolkata, India, and current vice president of the International Society of Pediatric Dermatology. Dhar noted that when you google the words 'diet' and 'eczema,' about half of the results come from self-proclaimed 'experts,' 30% from educational websites, and 20% from promotional sites. Among the top 10 results, 80% recommend avoiding milk or dairy, and 50% suggest avoiding soy, wheat, and gluten. However, only 3%-10% of patients with AD also have food allergies, though that proportion can rise to one third among individuals with moderate-to-severe disease, Dhar explained. 'Remember: Dietary restriction makes no sense in pediatric or adult patients with mild AD.' Although there are no clear diagnostic criteria, young children with severe AD are more likely to have food allergies, said Dhar. A 2015 population-based cohort study of more than 4000 infants found that those with AD had a sixfold increased risk for food allergy to cow's milk, egg, or peanuts. Effectiveness of Elimination Diets Dhar stated that a review of the literature shows 'mixed results' regarding the usefulness of elimination diets in AD, with few randomized, double-blind studies published in the past 20 years supporting a role for food allergy in clinical manifestations of the disease. A 2008 Cochrane review concluded that there is 'little evidence' supporting the use of exclusion diets in unselected individuals with AD. In 2009, Dhar led an open-label, uncontrolled pilot study in a selected group of 100 infants and children with severe AD. Participants were asked to strictly avoid milk and dairy products, all types of nuts, egg, marine fish, shrimp, eggplant, and soy for 3 weeks. The study found a statistically significant reduction in disease severity scores. However, Dhar clarified that he now critiques his own study ('this is how science progresses') and that the concept of strict food avoidance has evolved. In the past decade, numerous studies have shown that delaying the introduction of foods such as milk, egg, wheat, and peanuts during infancy actually increases the risk of developing allergies to those foods. In the landmark 2015 LEAP trial from the UK, early introduction of peanuts starting at 4 months of age in infants aged 4-11 months with severe AD and egg allergy significantly reduced the risk for peanut allergy compared to those who avoided peanuts until age 5. María Fernanda Greco, MD, a panelist at the congress and head of Pediatric and Adolescent Dermatology at the British Hospital in Buenos Aires, Argentina, agreed that there is no single dietary approach suitable for all patients with AD. However, she emphasized that 'there is growing interest in the role of the gut microbiome in skin health' and suggested that enhancing the gut barrier through diets that promote intestinal health, as well as probiotic supplementation (eg, Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium found in yogurt and fermented foods) or prebiotics (found in garlic, onions, and bananas), may help improve the skin barrier and reduce disease severity in the short term. For example, a 2021 randomized Polish study found that a probiotic preparation containing three strains ( Lactobacillus rhamnosus ŁOCK 0900, L rhamnosus ŁOCK 0908, and L casei ŁOCK 0918) increased the likelihood of improvement by sixfold over 3 months in children younger than 2 years with AD and cow's milk protein allergy. However, the benefits did not persist after 9 months. Supplementing with omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids may also help modulate inflammatory responses and improve symptoms, she added. 'It's difficult to take a definitive stance [on the role of diet in AD], but I believe that with each patient, we need to assess whether they might benefit from supplementation, food avoidance, or allergy testing,' Greco concluded. Dhar closed the session by emphasizing that until future studies clarify the relationship between food allergies, AD, and the immune pathways that regulate tolerance and immediate hypersensitivity, clinical decisions about elimination diets should be based on reflective, cautious interpretation of the available evidence. And if an elimination diet is pursued, it should be personalized 'based on the patient's needs, the severity of eczema, and documented correlations between dietary intake and skin flares or food allergies — without neglecting nutritional balance,' he concluded. Dhar disclosed advisory or thought-leader roles with some pharmaceutical companies, though his presentation did not reference any commercial products. Greco declared having no relevant financial conflicts of interest.
ABC News
22-05-2025
- Health
- ABC News
Sandipan Dhar's father says family was 'betrayed' by Joondalup Health Campus in days before his death
A coronial inquest into the death of a toddler at a Perth hospital has ended with emotional testimony from the boy's father, who said Joondalup Health Campus "destroyed our life". Sandipan Dhar died at the hospital on March 24 last year. His parents brought their 21-month-old son to the emergency department on March 22, after he had been feverish for weeks. A GP sent the family to the emergency department with a letter requesting Sandipan get blood tests, among other examinations. But the Dhar family left hospital that night without staff taking Sandipan's blood. He died when they returned to hospital two days later. An autopsy revealed the boy had undiagnosed acute leukaemia. The coronial inquest has been called to determine whether Sandipan's life may have been saved if his bloods were taken on March 22. After listening in court for three days, Sandipan's father, Sanjoy Dhar, chose to take the stand in an emotional testimony. Mr Dhar asked to take the oath in his son's name while his pictures were exhibited behind him. "I've been waiting for this day for [a] long time," he told the court. He said his family did not want to see anyone sent to prison over the incident. But Mr Dhar told the court he cannot accept that he and his family "left the ED without having [the doctor's] concern". "I went there straight from the GP," he said. "Sandipan was not taken care [of] properly on Friday night. "As a family, we consider we have been betrayed. Mr Dhar made it clear the actions of the staff when the family returned two nights later were not the issue, because he accepted it was too late by then. The lawyer representing Joondalup Health Campus staff, Grant Donaldson SC, took the opportunity to tell Mr Dhar that it was very common two people recall a moment or conversation differently. "It doesn't mean one person is lying and one person is not lying," he told the court. "Hopefully, you will be able to accept that some people have honestly and genuinely a different recollection of some of these matters. "I would urge you to try and understand that if you are able to." The lawyer representing the Dhar family told the court, according to Mr Dhar's evidence, the final words senior ED consultant Dr Yii Siow said when they left the hospital that night were: "Your son is beautiful, take him home, there is nothing wrong with him." "Did you say that?" Counsel Piet Jarmen asked Dr Siow. "No," Dr Siow told the court. She told the court she was not concerned when the family left hospital because Sandipan "looked well" and she was confident he had viral tonsillitis. "[I] just thought it would be fine," Dr Siow told the court. The court heard Dr Siow and the family planned to do a urine test to rule out a urinary tract infection and assumed they may return the following day to complete it. She told the court she did not get the impression Sandipan's condition was more serious. When the family did return two days later, Sandipan's health had drastically declined. A checklist of symptoms and notes were read out to the junior ED doctor, Caolan O'Hearrain, and his senior consultant, Dr Siow, relating to Sandipan's condition on March 22. The court heard the family told Dr O'Hearrain they had come to the ED because their GP wanted Sandipan to get a blood test. When Dr O'Hearrain was asked if he relayed that information to Dr Siow, he told the court "I believe I did but I can't 100 per cent confirm". But Dr Siow told the court she did not receive that vital note. Of the 14 notes, Dr Siow told the court she could only confidently recall hearing two during her handover with Dr O'Hearrain. The thought of doing a blood test did cross her mind, but the court heard she wanted to receive the urine test results first. Dr Siow also told the court she did not read the letter from the GP, which in hindsight she accepted would have been "ideal".
ABC News
21-05-2025
- Health
- ABC News
Sandipan Dhar's father accuses Joondalup Health Campus doctors of lies over toddler's death
The father of a toddler who died at a Perth hospital after presenting to the emergency department two days earlier has walked out of a coronial inquest into his son's death, accusing medical staff of lying in their evidence. Sandipan Dhar was 21 months old when he died at Joondalup Health Campus on March 24 last year. An autopsy later revealed he died due to complications from undiagnosed leukaemia. Sandipan's father Sanjoy Dhar left the court as hospital doctor Dr Yii Siow was giving evidence. 'I cannot take anymore lies,' he told the court. 'I am just exiting myself. 'It's too much for me to take.' The WA Coroner's Court inquest is trying to discern whether blood tests could have detected the blood disease earlier and spared Sandipan's life. Sandipan had a fever for about three weeks after he received routine vaccinations. One GP told the court on the first day of the inquest he 'just couldn't ignore the parental concern' and sent the family to Joondalup Hospital with a letter requesting blood tests on March 22. His parents took Sandipan to the ED that day but left the hospital after about five hours, without his bloods being taken. Sandipan was brought back two days later and died that evening. The allocated nurse and junior doctor on duty told the inquest on Tuesday they didn't recall Saraswati and Sanjoy Dhar insisting on blood tests. Dr O'Hearrain told the court on Wednesday he also did not remember Mr Dhar asking for the blood tests, referring to Sandipan's parents as 'very reasonable' and 'patient.' Coroner Sarah Linton suggested cultural differences could have influenced the degree of concern expressed by the parents. 'There certainly seems to be disconnect between how concerned they say they were … and how they seemed to you,' she told Dr Caolan O'Hearrain incourt. Mr Dhar said he did not know he had to demand his child's needs in a specific way. 'We've been polite. We didn't consider to raise our voice because other patients are in the other beds,' he said outside court. Mr Dhar said he asked Dr O'Hearrain 'minimum, three times' to ask Dr Siow, to take a blood test. Dr Siow told the court Sandipan looked well and his parents were calm on March 22. 'They appeared really calm and relaxed to me. I didn't think there was a heightened level of concern,' she told the court. Dr Siow told the court she and the family even joked at one point about mothers always being right. She said the family did not ask for a blood test and if they had insisted on one, it would have been an 'easy decision' to complete it. The court heard there was conflicting evidence on whether the family were told to leave the ED on March 22, or whether they left of their own accord. Mr Dhar said outside court Dr Siow had asked the family to leave, but she was not questioned on that on Wednesday. She will continue to be questioned on Thursday, when the inquest continues.
ABC News
20-05-2025
- Health
- ABC News
Sandipan Dhar inquest probes whether timely blood test could have prevented toddler's death
A hospital nurse and junior doctor tasked with treating a Perth toddler who died from an undiagnosed form of leukaemia say they can't remember his distressed parents insisting on a blood test. At the heart of a coronial inquest into the death of Sandipan Dhar is the question of whether a blood test could have indeed prevented his death. The 21-month old died at Joondalup Health Campus in March 2024, with a post-mortem revealing he had acute blastoma leukaemia. He had been taken to the hospital's emergency department twice after suffering a persistent fever for several weeks, following routine vaccinations. Sandipan's parents said they requested blood tests on the first occasion, and had a referral from a GP, but claimed they were not listened to. Coroner Sarah Linton is presiding over the inquest and said the court would probe whether a full blood test during Sandipan's first ED visit might have flagged his blood disease and saved his life. After their first visit, the family went home with their child but his condition deteriorated and they returned two days later on March 24 . Sandipan died that evening. The court heard in the opening address there was conflicting evidence as to whether the family chose to leave the ED against advice or were told they could leave. Carlo Rocchiccioloi was the allocated nurse on the first ED visit and told the court Sandipan looked well. The court heard Mr Rocchiccioloi did not make a note of a request from the family for blood tests. "I would document it in the notes if it was a repeated or insistent request perhaps," he told the court. Dr Caolan O'Hearrain, who was the junior doctor on duty, told the court blood tests were mentioned in relation to the letter from the GP, but the requests were not insistent. "They [had] gone to their GP a few times and their GP had sent them in looking to get bloods done," he told the court. Alarm bells didn't sound for Dr O'Hearrain because he said Sandipan's fever was not constant. He said he was reassured by the fact the toddler's temperature and heart rate had come down. Meanwhile, Dr Sanjeev Rana from the Key Largo Medical Centre assessed Sandipan twice before he died, once on March 20 and again on March 22. Dr Rana initially diagnosed Sandipan with tonsillitis and prescribed him antibiotics, but advised his parents to come back in two days given his fever since his immunisations. During the second appointment it became clear that Sandipan was not responding to the medication and his fever persisted. "I wasn't sure about my diagnosis, I wasn't sure about what was going on," Dr Rana told the court. "This is a kid with a fever for three weeks. "On that day he had a temperature of 38.3C and he looked miserable. "I just couldn't ignore the parental concern." He wrote a letter for the parents to take to hospital requesting a blood test and further examination. But the court heard Sandipan's deterioration "could not be reversed" when they presented to the Joondalup ED. Only Sandipan's father, Sanjoy Dhar, was in court on Tuesday. Coroner Linton gave her condolences to Sandipan's mother, Saraswati, as did three doctors who assessed Sandipan at the medical centre in the days and weeks leading up to his death. However, Mr Dhar only accepted one of the doctors' condolences. "These are by force … I should have heard it one year prior, not today," he said outside court. "I only can accept the apology from Dr Rana because I can see that it came from his heart. The rest I don't." The inquest continues.
